Hummingbird in flight near a feeder
Animal Story

Hummingbird Wings

by Emma Laurence

Have you ever been close enough to hear the sound of hummingbird wings? I found it magical.

Hummingbirds hover at an average rate of 80 wingbeats per second. With strong muscles, and rotating shoulder joints, their wings flutter in a figure 8 pattern. This allows them to move forward, backward, or pivot to the side.

Take a listen to this remarkable creature in flight. You’ll hear some chirps, too!

Who isn’t delighted by catching sight of a hummingbird? In some Indigenous cultures, this little bird is the symbol of joy and healing. In others, a sign of strength, endurance, beauty and harmony.

My husband and I often share our ‘highlight of the day’ right before we go to sleep. One night, after a day of many gifts—abundant organic produce from our local farm, excitement of my upcoming book launch, strength my husband is gaining from weight lifting—how remarkable that we both named our highlight as the hummingbirds at our feeder!

It’s good to celebrate life’s big events. And, on any given day, our peak experience might still be as tiny and miraculous as the sound of a hummingbird’s wings.

All we need to do is stay alert for the small joy that darts into our lives.

That is living as music.

Photo by Eric Brehm on Unsplash

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Find Your Rhythm. Harmonize with your heart.

Giraffe in motion in the wild
Animal Story

Giraffes Hum!

by Emma Laurence

I first learned that giraffes hum to one another from reading the historical novel West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. The novel fictionalizes a 1937 trek across the U.S.A., when two young giraffes arrived in New York harbor during a hurricane, barely alive, and were transported by make-shift rig to the San Diego Zoo. [A great adventure tale, highly recommended.]

Who knew that giraffes hum?
Click below to listen to this extraordinary nocturnal sound:

Giraffe in motion in the wild

In the novel, the young giraffes hum to comfort one another, to create safety, and to express a sense of contentment. The human characters are awe-struck when they experience this vibration firsthand.

I got to wondering if people who experience insomnia might benefit from learning the giraffes’ secret to comfort and peace. Many of us may listen to ocean waves or soft music as a way to relax into sleep. But what about making our own sound?

It turns out that humming isn’t just soothing. It stimulates the vagus nerve and signals the brain to calm down. It lowers our heart rate and blood pressure. Humming produces oxytocin, can release melatonin, and induces parasympathetic dominance.

Several research studies have been done on humming’s healing impact. In fact, a book called The Humming Effect dives deeply into the topic.

As we look for ways to calm our nervous system, quiet our minds, and balance our emotions, isn’t it heartening to know that we carry with us this simple sound technique? I’m trying it out.

Thank you, giraffes!
That is living as music.

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Call of the Loons

by Emma Laurence

Last week, I drove to a lakeside cabin in northern Minnesota and returned to the call of the loons. Midwest loons are the same species as those of the Adirondacks, my heart’s home.

Common loons call out to one another across a misty lake. Their sound emerges from stillness and silence. Before dawn, I paddled a kayak to the center of the lake to listen. It’s a resonance like none other, haunting and healing.

Take a brief moment to appreciate their beauty:

When we make room for stillness and silence in our lives, we hear a soul-stirring sound. We’re moved by, changed by, a call we must somehow answer.

This sound often becomes amplified during transition times. Like the sunrise or sunset that invites the loon’s cry when humanity settles, our inner call emerges when our thoughts settle.

We may recognize an inner nudge to heal a broken heart or to trust a new, amazing opportunity. The call might beckon us to soul-awareness or to a renovation of our life’s work.

For me, it takes courage to perceive this penetrating signal because I know it will be life-changing.

Yet when a loon-lover friend of mine sits in quiet, the environment awakening around her, she says, “The revelation is so compelling, I go into it with love, affection, and beauty— without needing courage.” Maybe that’s you, too.

Are we willing to be still and wait—to hear, to accept, and to answer?

That is the call and response of living as music.

[Want more loons? https://www.nature365.tv/video/2024-04-29-loon]

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Young Sugar Chile Robinson smiling while playing the keyboard
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Sugar Chile Robinson

by Emma Laurence

What is it that delights us about a child prodigy? Surprising talent flows naturally and joyfully in someone so young that we’re baffled.

Where does it come from? Whether we believe the gift is in-born, earned in past lives, or a simply a mystery, there’s no denying the result.

Smile big as you watch Sugar Chile Robinson at age six (less than 2 min.):

Did you happen to notice Sugar’s hands on the keyboard? Young Sugar Chile hits the keys in a way that suits his hands, not the restricted manner in which a player might be schooled.

We each have talents as natural to us as piano was to Sugar Chile at age six. We play the keys in our own way. But sometimes our gift is so natural to us, we don’t even recognize it.

I had a friend who could listen to anyone’s story without making a ripple. Holding profound respect at being invited to listen, the storyteller’s pain, joy, growth, learning, or simple observation emerged in all its fullness.

He never saw his gift as any big deal. But we did.

What’s your unrecognized gift? Maybe you just naturally:

  • know how to be patient when someone needs extra time
  • make others feel included in social situations
  • keep a cool head in an emergency
  • lighten a heavy moment with humor
  • repair any machine that’s broken
  • appreciate animals and advocate for them
  • distill complex ideas into simple, comprehensible statements

What’s most common to us may seem insignificant. It’s not. It’s music!

Today, when you notice someone else’s “invisible” talent, name it for them.

Help them see, and maybe you’ll begin to notice yours, too.

That is living as music.

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Take a look at this if you are in a major life transition and need help.
💛Emma

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Find Your Rhythm. Harmonize with your heart.

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The Sound of Laughter

by Emma Laurence

The sound of laughter is universally human. It brings joy. It’s also contagious and builds connections because who doesn’t love joining in a good laugh?

Babies show us full-body abandon in laughter. They couldn’t care less if it’s a socially appropriate moment or not—and they find humor in the most common things.

Pause and enjoy this baby who finds sneezing hilarious (1 min):

Jean Houston once said that at the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities.

What a great way to be more creative, find new solutions to stubborn problems, and turn a bad day into something better. Especially when we can laugh at ourselves.

Think of a moment you did something really stupid. (easy, right?) Can you find the humor in your misstep? Laughter shatters shame. Yeah, you looked like an idiot. So what?

Humor also bonds us. When I share a joke with my 9-year-old grandniece, our age difference melts away. When we find commonality in laughter, we find our friends.

Today, ask life for an opportunity to find humor. Appreciate the sound of laughter as part of your day. Share a snicker with a stranger. Break through a disagreement with your partner by chuckling at how ridiculously attached we get to our own viewpoint.

And for one week, try marking Laughter on your calendar at 8pm. If you haven’t guffawed that day, find a funny video, pick up a comic book, or call a friend you know will split your gut.

That is living as music.

Riding the rhythm, the Nicholas brothers best tap dancers of all times shown here in mid-air
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Riding the Rhythm

by Emma Laurence

Two of the greatest tap dancers who ever lived, the Nicholas Brothers, bring fresh, dynamic, awe-inspiring expression to riding musical rhythm.

As if born in synchronicity with each other and with big band music, these gifted dancers fly. Pause now to experience their surprising story, sound, and way of riding rhythm (less than 2 min):

The Brothers’ level of rhythmic genius is precise, acrobatic, and fluid. Can you hear/feel their tap shoes matching the beat of the music?

Most impressive to me is the joy with which the Nicholas Brothers dance to a song they didn’t even like! Yet, they found a way through their love of music and dance.

That’s inspiring—and gives us a key to navigate more easily.

When the soundtrack of our lives turns sour, we can sweeten the discord. The Nicholas Brothers offer an image of moving gracefully and playfully in a distasteful situation.

We may be frustrated by our current job, ending a relationship, having to relocate cross country, or facing a real health concern. Whatever the story, for the moment we’re in a tough time.

Let’s remember the Nicholas Brothers and lean into the rhythm, find something in the song we can dance to and be inspired to stay light on our feet.

Bring the best we can, given the circumstances, without self-judgment. The song won’t last forever. We, too, can be riding the rhythm, tapping lightly.

That is living as music.

P.S. Want to see the Nicholas Brothers as kids? check out their Lucky Number “audition”



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Navigate more easily through the art & science of sound

Burnout Support

Beyond Burnout: Your Exit

by Emma Laurence

Burnout signals a need for realignment in how you do work. Yet, if you’re poised on the edge of leaving your job, you may be too crispy fried to even look at an exit strategy.

When you’re overwhelmed or exhausted, considering an exit is, in itself, an act of courage.

Maybe you feel you don’t have a choice. A vision or dream won’t let you go. Or, you can’t tolerate the pace or company culture of your day-to-day grind. What do you do then?

If you choose to surround yourself with support and take the big leap, this may help.

What to Expect in Phase One

Wouldn’t it be lovely if your transition lands you in a parallel reality—one where you enjoy your lucrative life’s work?

It’s not exactly magic, but a significant shift does happen when you leave a good-paying but ill-suited job for an uncertain future.

At first, it may feel like floating. You don’t quite know what to do with yourself. I notice with clients that this untethered feeling passes naturally and fairly quickly.

An essential step is setting a clear intention for joyful, sustainable work. Even if you don’t have a future vision yet, this simple focus can carry you for a while.

Your daily attention shifts. You spend time exploring new opportunities, tending previously neglected chores and relationships, or even recovering from burnout.

It’s OK to give yourself permission, space, and time for a smooth transition in this phase.

 A Beyond Burnout Exit Story

A brilliant Millennial, whom I’ll call Ruby, came to coaching burned out from her high-paying but soul-draining job in the tech industry. Her decision to be true to herself and leave her job ushered in transition phase one.

Ruby began to unwind and recover from burnout while making plans to move out of state. The move would provide a supportive community.

We began exploring her options in the non-profit sector and clarifying her long-term goals in writing and art. A part-time job more aligned with her values would fuel a full transformation to her life’s work.

Ruby is in phase one of her transition beyond burnout. She’s already so much happier! She shifted her pace and restructured daily life in harmony with her natural rhythm.

Finding joy, humor, and play again enlivened her sense of adventure.

Support to Exit

We often crave freedom when leaving a day job that no longer suits us. If that’s you, play with the possibility that you can gather support and exit. If you’d like to chat with someone about your options, I’m here for a free Clarity Conversation.

I love the Rumi quote, Live life as if everything is rigged in your favor.

Does it make you wonder what you’d do if you knew that to be true?

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Photo by Elliott Stallion on Unsplash

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The F.O.G. Machine

by Emma Laurence

I first experienced a fog machine during a college performance of Camelot. This special effect apparatus sits in the wings and blows a chemical mist onto stage at the actors’ feet. Despite its artistic appeal, I can still feel the dry throat and smell the chemical odor of theatre fog.  A different kind of F.O.G.—Fear, Obligation, and Guilt—clouds our joy of living in much the same way. These feelings blow in during personal dramas that trigger our inner F.O.G. machine.

All the World’s a Stage

We’re all familiar with daily life triggers. A co-worker criticizes our performance on the team, a loved one disapproves of a choice we make, a social media comment questions our values. And, bam! Before we know it the machine has kicked in.

All our hours of yoga, meditation, or self-care go out the window. As if on cue, the mechanism powers up, sending clouds of fear, obligation, or guilt into our former sunny consciousness.

Personally, I’m well versed in the drama queen art form. As a kid, my mother used to tell me that I’d have to learn not to be so upset by my grandfather’s or my brother’s taunts. If you don’t react, she’d say, they’ll stop teasing you.  She was probably right, but hey at six years old, I had no skills to stop spontaneous tears.

The F.O.G. Machine Exercise

As an adult, though, I have several tools to release F.O.G. once I’ve been triggered. One technique is the creative use of visualization.  For example, the fog machine image came to me while navigating a fearful challenge. So, I decided to use the metaphor as a launch point for an inner creative exercise.

I sat down, closed my eyes, and calmed my heartbeat. As I entered the worlds of my imagination, I saw myself in the wings of a large performance space. Just ahead, a tall, emaciated man with wide eyes pushed hard and fast on a machine’s lever, spewing F.O.G. everywhere. I walked over and asked him what he was doing. His eyes filled with panic. This is my job, he said. I have to keep doing my job! It was as if his boss would torture him if the fog stopped flowing.

I wanted to stop the fog. But to do so meant letting go of the outcome, and choosing to be a compassionate presence for the machine’s operator.

After a time, I asked if he’d like some water. As if in a flash of awakening, he suddenly seemed to consider that maybe he, of himself, was not a machine. Silently and gradually, he slowed his pace. Eventually, he returned my gaze and nodded.

We walked to a nearby table set up with water, fresh fruit, and other snacks.  He took the smallest portions, but he did eat. As we talked, he revived a little, gaining some color in his cheeks.  I told him he no longer needed to run the machine, that I was the boss now, and I happily set him free.

Have you ever experienced how a scenario within your imagination can impact your breathing, blood pressure, muscle tension, and frame of mind? My body relaxed deeply as I came out of this exercise. I felt a sense of peace. I saw my problem in a completely new light, and I saw a simple solution.

Dismantle the Machine

What would your image be for the mechanical nature behind fear, obligation, or guilt? What if you used this to your advantage? Maybe you could slow the revved up engine, shift into a lower gear, or take over as computer programmer of your mind.

When we decide how much F.O.G. were willing to tolerate, we’re also free to clear out the rest. Fear, obligation, and guilt need not pollute our inner atmosphere. We can choose a different kind of mist to artfully beautify a dramatic moment. Or, we can compassionately dismantle the machine.

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Photo from miriamruthross.wordpress.com; Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away

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Please Don’t Share Your Genius

by Emma Laurence

In recent years, a personal growth wave has swept our country. It’s almost a mandate to discover and share your genius with the world. The assumption is that you have something you do better than anyone else, and that you must share this in order to be happy and successful. While this belief is a step up from treating humans as cogs in corporate machinery, is it really growth? I’d like to stand in a different viewpoint and say, please don’t share your genius.

Your Genius, Your Purpose

Akin to this popular directive of self-discovery and actualization is the challenge to live your purpose. Oh, my, what pressure! What if I can’t find my purpose? Do I have only one? And if I were to find this supposed purpose, how would I live it? How could I be sure I was living my purpose?

The path of purpose can produce a land mine of self-doubt. Within the wholeness of life, a single, narrow self-definition breeds a sense of failure. How many people do you know who’ve articulated their purpose in words? If you can’t, does this mean that you’re not giving to the world? Do you not have a right to exist if you don’t know and follow your bliss? Or are you destined to struggle, always seeking and never finding?

Yikes. I prefer the viewpoint articulated in the Disney movie Soul. In the Great Before, one of the teachers quips back to the lead character, oh you humans and your purposes. In fact, by the movie’s end we learn through the character of 22 that even your spark—your passion—isn’t your purpose. Gerry says:

A spark isn’t a soul’s purpose! Oh, you mentors and your passions. Your purposes, your meanings-of-life. So basic.

So what’s beyond genius and purpose?

Being Truly and Wisely You

I believe you can live a lifetime of service by being truly and wisely you—true to your own heart, values, and gifts. Maybe you don’t need to light the world on fire, or light your hair on fire, or solve some problem that no one’s been able to solve.

Maybe you don’t need to measure yourself or others by your impact on the world, another buzzword that’s become a determining factor in the value of a human life.

I’m not saying that high-level creativity, innovation, and action aren’t necessary and wonderful. In fact, this kind of limit pushing can move humanity forward. Consider, though, how many people it takes to support one genius of this nature.

Another Disney film, Encanto, tells the story of a family whose members each possess a magical gift, except the youngest, Mirabel. Mirabel faces vulnerability and self-doubt.  Yet, her lack of superpower, her normalcy, turns out to be more than valuable in serving her community.

Could all those helpers who live quiet lives outside the limelight have just as much ‘value and impact’ as those whose achievements lead to stardom?

A co-worker of mine started knitting just for enjoyment. At the time, all the cool knitters were writing blogs and knitting socks. Beautiful, intricate socks. So, she tried knitting socks, and she wasn’t any good at it. It took her a long time to realize she was doing herself harm by trying to fit the mold. Eventually, she decided it was perfectly OK to do what she enjoyed which was knitting scarves. She loves scarves! So, why shouldn’t she knit what she loves, just for joy?

I’d like to advocate here for a different way to perceive the full scope of contribution, and a new target to aim for that isn’t about genius, purpose, or impact.

A New Paradigm

The value of an individual cannot actually be measured in human terms. We simply don’t have the perceptive ability to see the myriad of ways in which one’s presence, let alone small acts done with great love, brings blessings and benefits to all. Maybe it’s best to stop obsessing about measuring impact and, focus instead on accepting and valuing today’s gifts.

In a sense, we’re all equal. We each have a creative imagination and the free will to use this tool as we choose. Some may manifest fine books or works of art, big businesses or vast scientific discoveries. Others may tend the raising and teaching of children, or give kindness every day to strangers as well as friends. Can we appreciate one another and ourselves as we offer what we can give today?

A new target might be simply to be and do the best we can. And cultivate gratitude for each contribution we witness. Simple gratitude keeps the gifts flowing. Wouldn’t it be a relief to recognize and relish life itself, in all its many forms? We can have a generous spirit without appraising our every move.

Please Don’t Share Your Genius

So, please, don’t jump on the bandwagon to find and share your genius unless you really want to. You may not have one genius waiting to be discovered; you may shine in many ways. It’s a trap to believe we’ve failed if we haven’t built our life on one so-called purpose. A wider viewpoint is far more inclusive of all life’s gifts. And maybe, there are times when just our beingness is enough. 

Let’s make up our own recipe for prosperity and tranquility. Whatever we enjoy, we can be it, and love it. And if sharing is necessary, it just may happen naturally.

Learn more about Coaching. Photo by Andrew George on Unsplash

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Pace Yourself for Fun

by Emma Laurence

I decided to learn to play pickleball, just for fun. I didn’t want more stress, competition, or striving for excellence in my life. I wanted to enjoy the sport, to pace myself for fun.

To start, I took a pickleball clinic at a nearby recreation center. It was tough! In the first session I got completely overwhelmed. Too much information = not a good time. I couldn’t filter through all the rules, strategies, and scoring. I just wanted to practice getting the ball over the net.

Maybe for the first time in my life, I didn’t care about being good immediately. I wanted to meet my fellow players. I was willing to learn by making mistakes.

Are We Having Fun Yet?

I almost didn’t go back. But I’d paid for the clinic, and I don’t like to give up. So, I went the second time. This time wasn’t as much overwhelming as it was shame inducing. We learned how to serve by cycling through a drill where one person served and the other returned the ball. The whole group watched. Oy. I tensed right up and couldn’t even get the ball into the court.

Then I really didn’t want to go back.

I was up most of the night before session #3. It’s one thing to have patience with becoming good; it’s another to be painfully bad.

The Courage To Have Fun

Then I remembered that I get self-centered in these types of situations, making it all about me. It’s not about me! I’m not the center of the universe. This class is not about me; it’s about all of us learning together, including the teacher.

Actually, the teacher seemed as nervous to be teaching as I was to be singled out. Maybe that’s why she gave us so much information all at once. Or, why she said she wouldn’t be able to learn our names.

Now, I’ve been in the field of education a long time, and it would’ve been easy for me to blame her for not coming across as caring, or not being good at organizing the curriculum. But maybe she was just insecure, like me.

So I made a choice to override shame, pull together all my courage, and go again—reminding myself of the goal to have fun. If people pitied me, or no one wanted to play with me, oh well. By asking specific questions, maybe I could even help her to teach me better.

That class was the breakthrough! I noticed two things:

Relinquishing my place as the center of the universe, I observed that others looked ridiculous at times, too. And I saw that we all make great shots as well as bad shots.

Sometimes, it’s the courage to show up once more that allows an experience to flip over to fun.

Stretch But Don’t Break

The next week, I stretched further by attending open pickleball for beginners. I played with someone new. I liked her. She was forgiving.

One member of the other team looked older. Turned out, she was 80, and a fierce player. At one point, she stopped the game to call us over. She explained why we need three types of serves. Three types?! I knew I needed to practice my serve, but yikes. As I stepped back into position, I laughed to my partner, yeah, I’m just trying to get it over the net. I overcame potential self-judgment with humor. Such a victory.

I’ve given up joy so often in my life. I’ve done it to be more skilled, to be a high achiever, to meet or exceed job expectations, to do what I thought others wanted, to be “the best,”— whatever. Doing so sacrificed my own center, my sovereignty, and my enjoyment of life.

Not any more. Now, I’m practicing the key—the same one I used as a teacher. In education, you learn to pace the student to stretch, but not break. When I (as the student) lose the wonder, mystery, or joy, then learning becomes drudgery.

Pacing Yourself for Fun

So I’ve decided to pace myself for fun. I practice this in my work, too. I want to sustain the joy.

If we need to learn, or to live, at a slower pace than world-spin, let’s do it! Choosing to align with our heartbeat rather than the collective pulse increases our delight, our sense of awe, and our gratitude.

If we choose to sacrifice fun, at least we can do so purposefully.  

I’ll understand if some players don’t want me as a pickleball partner. But, honestly, I’m going to get so much better by encouraging myself to enjoy the process, one shot at a time.

Note: Since writing this blog, I have improved quite a bit by taking my own advice. 😀

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